Southern Strawberry Sweet Tea

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A fruity variation on classic iced tea, Southern strawberry iced tea is a refreshing cold drink to enjoy on a hot summer’s day. Using fresh, ripe strawberries to create a tasty simple syrup, this homemade strawberry iced tea recipe is the perfect drink to serve at a garden party or barbecue.

Want more fruity party drink ideas? How about a refreshing orange sherbet punch? Or a yummy homemade raspberry lemonade?

INGREDIENTS for STRAWBERRY SWEET Iced TEA

You will need:

For the strawberry simple syrup:

• 3 cups strawberries, washed and stems removed, then sliced (should measure three cups after they are sliced) 
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar

For the sweet tea:

• 3 family sized Lipton original tea bags (or 9 regular sized tea bags)
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 8 cups cold water, in a large pitcher
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 lemon, cut into slices or wedges for garnish in glass
• 6-8 strawberries, washed but leave stems on, with a cut on the bottom for garnish on the glass
• Ice

This recipe uses 20oz of strawberries. You’ll want three cups of sliced strawberries and 6-8 strawberries for garnish.

INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS & ADDITIONS

TEA: A family sized tea bag is equal to 3 regular sized tea bags. For this recipe, if you only have regular size on hand, you can just substitute a total of 9 tea bags to make this version of sweet tea. You can also use your preferred brand or type of tea as the foundation.

SUGAR: For a lower-calorie version of this strawberry sweet tea, you could swap the two cups of sugar for a ¼ cup of stevia. Another good alternative to the sugar is 1 ½ cups of honey which gives an added layer of flavor.

STRAWBERRIES: If you don’t have enough strawberries, you could add some other soft fruits such as raspberries or blackberries.

ALCOHOL: To turn this sweet tea into a boozy cocktail, simply add a shot of your favourite liquor. Rum, vodka or bourbon all add complementary flavors and are sure to get your party buzzing.

HOW TO MAKE

STEP ONE: Wash the strawberries. Set six to eight strawberries aside to use as garnish. With the remaining strawberries, remove the stems and slice them. You should now have three cups of sliced strawberries.

STEP TWO: In a medium saucepan add two cups of water, one cup of sugar and the sliced strawberries. Cook over a medium to high heat until the mixture reaches boiling point.

STEP THREE: Reduce the heat and let simmer for 30 minutes, or until the strawberries are soft and the liquid is a deep red color.

STEP FOUR: Using a mesh strainer, strain the strawberry syrup into a large pitcher. Press down on the strawberries gently to get the juice out, but be sure to not press too hard. You don’t want any strawberry chunks in your sweet tea!

STEP FIVE: Add three cups of boiling water to a large jug. Place three family sized tea bags into the hot water and let the steep for five minutes before removing the tea bags. Add one cup of sugar and stir well.

STEP SIX: Pour the jug of tea into the pitcher with the strawberry syrup and add eight cups of cold water. Stir well and add the juice from one large lemon.

STEP SEVEN: Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for two to three hours until very cold.

TO SERVE: Add sliced strawberries, lemons and ice to the pitcher. Add a slice of lemon to the rim of each glass as garnish and serve with a straw.

STORING THIS RECIPE

Strawberry iced tea can be stored in the refrigerator for up to eight hours.

TIPS FOR MAKING STRAWBERRY TEA

For the most intense strawberry flavor, this recipe works best with very ripe strawberries. While you can enjoy it all year round, strawberry iced tea is tastiest in the summer when strawberries are in season and at their juiciest.

This recipe makes quite a lot of tea, so you’ll need either a very large pitcher or two medium-sized ones. If you’re not having a party and just want to make a drink to enjoy yourself at home, we suggest using smaller quantities of all the ingredients.

You can adjust the number of tea bags to vary the strength of your tea. For stronger tea, add an extra tea bag and steep for an extra five minutes. For a lighter-colored tea, use only two tea bags and add extra water.

Southern strawberry sweet tea is just the thing a lazy summer day, or a fun backyard bash needs. The addition of fresh strawberries to the sweet tea gives this recipe a summer feel that’s perfectly refreshing and begs you to pull up a chair and just relax.

More southern-inspired recipes you’ll love

• Pineapple Delight Dessert
• Easy Chicken and Dumplings
• Mississippi Mud Pie
• Corn Casserole
• Ambrosia Salad